Avoid Unhealthy Stress

Regardless of whether you work from home, in an office or in another environment, it is inevitable that there will be stressful periods from time to time. But with the right preparation and knowledge, you can reduce the negative effect that stress can have on mental health – in the long term.

Rest and take time for recovery

We can cope with periods of stress if we take care to rest and recover. Important to understand is that recovery does not have to be exactly the same for everyone. For some, watching tv, reading a book or flipping through a magazine is restorative. For some it may be taking a walk or working out at the gym, while others just want to relax. You will find yourself the type of relaxation that gives you recovery and rest for both body and mind.

Make reasonable demands on yourself, work with your own attitude towards the demands made in life and try to structure your existence according to the demands that you can handle. During physical activity, a lot happens in the body that makes you feel fitter and stronger. Blood circulation increases and the brain receives more oxygen. Physical activity also makes the body better at taking care of stress hormones – your stress tolerance increases, quite simply. In addition, signaling substances are released in the brain that counteract depression and pain. Memory, learning, problem solving and concentration can also be improved.

Try to sleep well, it is perhaps easier said than done, but a good night’s sleep is important for the body and brain to rest, recover and process impressions. Make sure to start unwinding well in advance of going to bed – preferably without a mobile phone, computer or other screens. Rather take a bath or read a good book. Keep the bedroom dark and cool.

Try to have a reasonable workload, when work is stressful, set boundaries, delegate and ask for help. Get help with setting boundaries. When the job is stressful, it is best to talk to the boss to bring about a change. You can also talk to your colleagues, it gives the opportunity to share experiences and to support each other.

Spend time with family and friends, socializing makes it easier to unwind. It can be as simple as having a coffee or a walk together. Unwind, there are relaxation exercises you can learn. Yoga is an example of exercises that can help stop thoughts spinning in the head and cause stress reactions in the body to be dampened. Say no there is much in private life that can be stressful. If you get stressed by the family having many activities, go through and remove, and if there is an opportunity to ask for help. Practice saying no or let me think about it if you easily give in to what others want. Ask to wait a day for the answer and it may be easier to say no.